But at the Burkhart Center for Autism Research and Education on the Texas Tech campus, an autumn snapshot of leaves and branches can now be seen year-round.

Construction workers installed a new glass art piece displaying a treetop scene on Thursday, Sept. 5, as part of the Tech University System’s public art program.

Erin Vaden, the program’s director, said the piece is about 13 feet wide and 15 feet high. It spans the entire second floor of the new building which is scheduled for completion in October.

The piece was designed by Brooklyn-based artist Corinne Ulmann.

“For this project, I was really thinking about the healing power and the healing potential of landscape,” Ulmann said. “They can create calm and supportive places for us. They can give a sense of well-being and reduce stress — in particular the stress of living with autism.”

Ulmann’s window displays two different scenes. Outside, branches bear the gold and red leaves of fall, blending in with the overall color scheme on the Tech campus. Inside, the colors shift to the deep greens of spring and summer.

Ulmann said the dual views reflect a disconnect between the internal and external worlds, often found in people with autism. Superimposed on the image are the outlines of tiny puzzle pieces — the symbol for autism.

“I just thought this idea of a puzzle piece — each person is unique in terms of their autism disorder,” Ulmann said. “Leaves are all similar, but are unique and have their own spectrum of colors. For me, it was this kind of connection that the tree could almost be an emblem for the building as well.”

Ulmann said the entire process from design to installation took about a year.

Janice Magness, director of the Burkhart Center, said a committee chose Ulmann’s design out of a pool of several other submissions because of its subtlety.

“We were thinking about what would withstand the test of time,” Magness said. “It just kind of depicts our image of trying to solve the puzzle.”

Magness said the piece is a good fit for the center because it doesn’t just appeal to children. In addition to research and education, the center supplies support to parents and families of those with the disorder.

Ulmann said she wants the children to feel that they’re suspended in the tree branches, but she also had their families in mind when she was creating the piece.

“I hope it gives them a moment of beauty in their day,” she said. “Maybe it provides them with something to talk about.”

The program sets aside 1 percent of the total budget of each new construction project for purchasing artwork for that project.